—Healthy plant-based recipes everyone in your family will love!

Really Good Chili

This is delicious and easy to make too! This recipe makes a large pot of chili – we had friends over for a last minute dinner tonight and it fed 4 adults, 1 teenage boy, 1 10-year old girl and our toddler with enough for most people to have seconds. Our toddler had two big bowls, she loved it!

I served this with Daiya shredded vegan cheese, chopped italian parsley (all I had) and Habanero Sauce.

The cocoa powder really brings out the flavor. I love using cocoa powder in my chili… and Guinness beer and strong coffee too! The chili was gone before I had a chance to take a better picture but here’s what it looked like… YUM! Next time I think I’ll add some quinoa, some chopped kale or chard and a few cups of hominy!

Serve with stone-ground tortilla chips, guacamole, and a big salad or cole slaw.

Ingredients

Water for sautéing veggies

2 medium onions, finely chopped

4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

3 28-ounce cans beans of your choice (try a combination of pinto, pink, and black beans), drained and rinsed – I used 3 15oz cans each of pinto beans and black beans – 6 cans total

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 16-ounce can tomato sauce

1 to 2 jalapeño or other hot peppers, seeded and minced, or one 8-ounce can mild or hot chopped green chiles – I used green chilies

1 tablespoon good-quality chili powder

1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Chopped ripe tomatoes for garnish

Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Instructions

Water/broth sauté the onion sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until the onion is golden. Add the remaining ingredients except the last three. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender and the flavors have melded.

Season with salt and pepper, and adjust the other seasonings. If time allows, let the chili stand for up to several hours before serving. Heat through as needed.The chili should be nice and thick; if it has gotten too thick, stir in a cup of water. Serve in individual bowls, garnished with tomatoes and cilantro.

Varations and optional garnishes:

* Add a cup or two of cooked corn kernels toward the end of cooking time

* Add a medium or large firm-cooked sweet potato, peeled and diced

* Add a diced zucchini or yellow summer squash about halfway into the cooking time

* Serve with grated nondairy cheddar cheese on the side for garnishing individual servings

* Put out extra “hot stuff” like minced fresh chili peppers, dried hot red pepper flakes, or hot sauce for those who like their chilies extra-spicy